They're still playing games with our money

Thorns to Congress for hiding tax breaks for big business in legislation to avert the much talked about “fiscal cliff.” Even as leaders in Washington claimed to be protecting the middle class from tax increases, they were doing as much to protect big business. In all, more than 50 temporary tax breaks were renewed through 2013, saving businesses and individuals about $76 billion. Congress routinely renews the tax package, attracting intense lobbying — and campaign donations — from businesses and trade groups that say the tax breaks help them prosper and create jobs. The package passed by Congress this week and signed by President Barack Obama renews the tax breaks retroactively, so taxpayers can claim them on both their 2012 and 2013 tax returns. Democrats and Republicans alike are playing games with our loyalties and our money. None of this bodes well for a much-needed move to get our government’s fiscal house in order.

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Roses to the Spring-Ford High Area School marching band for winning its third straight Group IV Atlantic Coast Championship. It was the sixth title in seven years, and the first under new director Seth Jones, who said the students deserved the credit because of their good attitude. “I was really lucky to inherit a bunch of students who work really hard, that really understand the importance of working hard and achieving goals and setting high standard for themselves.”

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Thorns to Gov. Tom Corbett for filing a federal civil suit against the NCAA for its penalties against the Penn State football program following the eruption of the child sex scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Corbett’s suit charges the NCAA overstepped its authority and “piled on” when it fined Penn State $60 million and banned the university for four years from bowl games. The suit argues the sanctions penalize students, business owners and others who had nothing to do with Sandusky’s crimes. The reasoning is flawed and political. Corbett claimed the matter was handled by the criminal justice system and the NCAA had no authority to place themselves into the process. The NCAA did not interfere with the criminal justice system. The NCAA regulates the behavior of its members in administering college athletics. The administration of the football program, however, is clearly within the realm of the NCAA. The university didn’t get it. Weaseling past the allegations of wrongdoing -- wrongdoing involving innocents – is no way to run a football program. They didn’t get it. They were so interested in protecting the students, business owners and others cited in Corbett’s lawsuit they forgot their responsibility to society and the victims in this case. The governor, of all people, should know this. He has received nothing but grief for it, particularly from enthusiasts of the same Penn State football program the governor now wishes to assuage. The governor is coming into a potentially difficult re-election campaign in 2014. The suit reeks of pandering to the groups – especially alumni who seem to have struck fear in the college administration in the first place. As attorney general, Corbett stood up to the unpopularity of an investigation into the football program at Penn State. It was the right thing to do and his critics should be castigated, not Corbett. As governor, he should have the starch to not cave to such atrocious critics.